Halo 5: Guardians 100% guide

Halo 5: Guardians has 73 Xbox achievements worth 1,250G on one Xbox One achievement list. The base game contains 65 achievements worth 1,000G. The free Score Attack title update adds 5 achievements worth 125G, and the free Warzone Firefight title update adds 3 achievements worth 125G. The same Xbox achievement list is used when playing the Xbox One version through backward compatibility on Xbox Series X|S. Do not mix this guide with the separate Halo 5: Forge Windows achievement list.

As of 2026-10-15, the full 1,250G is still obtainable. All 73 achievements remain on the list, none is reported unobtainable, and no shutdown of Halo 5's online services has been announced. There are no CURRENTLY CONFIRMED UNOBTAINABLE or CURRENTLY CONFIRMED DISCONTINUED achievements in this stack. Online population is uneven: Ranked Slayer, Super Fiesta Party, and Warzone Firefight are reliably populated, standard Warzone is hit-or-miss outside weekend and evening prime time, and Breakout is reported unpopulated.

Online play is mandatory for 100%. You need an Xbox subscription that includes online console multiplayer for the co-op campaign achievements, Arena achievements, Warzone Firefight achievements, Score Attack co-op, and the spectator achievement. Halo 5 has no local split-screen in any mode, so every co-op player needs their own console and online connection. There is no campaign matchmaking either, so arrange your co-op partner or group yourself.

The practical route is two full campaign passes plus selective Mission Select cleanup:

• Pass 1: complete all 15 missions online in co-op on Heroic. Collect 117 Mission Intel and 12 of the 13 skulls, do almost every co-op and mission-specific achievement, and establish Heroic completion credit.
• Pass 2: complete all 15 missions solo on Legendary in normal Campaign with Score Attack off. Collect the Legendary-only Iron skull in Mission 3, preserve the Scorpion in Mission 13, and clear Mission 14 without a full-fireteam wipe.
• Cleanup: replay Mission 7 solo on Heroic for No Witnesses and Mission 12 with Tough Luck for Worms Don't Surf, plus anything you missed.
• Score Attack: use one prepared Genesis co-op run to stack all five Score Attack achievements.
• Multiplayer: use Warzone Firefight for the Warzone and Firefight achievements, then finish Arena with populated playlists where possible and an organized eight-player boost for the sparse Breakout and Strongholds requirements.

There are no true campaign missables for achievement completion because cleared missions can be replayed through Mission Select. Mission Intel and skull pickups are saved when collected, so a later death does not normally erase a collectible already registered. The efficient route still treats each mission's collectible count as a checkpoint so you do not create unnecessary cleanup.

There is no New Game+ or alternate-ending achievement route. Difficulty achievements stack upward, so Heroic also covers Normal, and the solo Legendary pass covers Legendary while separately satisfying the solo requirement.

The campaign contains 117 Mission Intel and 13 skulls. Fireteam Osiris missions give Locke the Artemis System, which can reveal nearby Intel when you pulse it regularly. Master Chief does not have that scanner, so Missions 2, 7, and 14 receive a more explicit Intel route below.

Intel saves the moment it is scanned. In co-op, only one player needs to scan each piece, and skull pickups credit every player in the fireteam. The pause menu's Mission Intel screen shows which pieces each mission has recorded, so use it to find gaps.

Use the mission's Intel counter as your hard check before leaving each level. The per-mission targets are:

• Mission 1 Osiris: 7 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 2 Blue Team: 8 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 3 Glassed: 6 Intel, 1 skull, but the Iron skull is Legendary-only and belongs to Pass 2.
• Mission 4 Meridian Station: 8 Intel, no skull.
• Mission 5 Unconfirmed: 7 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 6 Evacuation: 6 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 7 Reunion: 7 Intel, 2 skulls.
• Mission 8 Swords of Sanghelios: 12 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 9 Alliance: 8 Intel, no skull.
• Mission 10 Enemy Lines: 10 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 11 Before the Storm: 5 Intel, no skull.
• Mission 12 Battle of Sunaion: 8 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 13 Genesis: 10 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 14 The Breaking: 5 Intel, 1 skull.
• Mission 15 Guardians: 10 Intel, 1 skull.

Every mission below has an Intel route in progression order, with each piece's in-game name in bold. The pause menu's Mission Intel list shows names, not a route, and its order does not follow the mission, so match the names to these routes to see exactly which piece you are missing. Artemis only reveals nearby Intel, so treat it as a confirmation tool rather than a map.

If a mission ends while your counter is short, finish it rather than turning the whole campaign into a scavenger hunt. Replay the mission from Mission Select later; Intel and skulls are never missable and stay collected. Within a mission, some routes pass one-way drops, lifts, or locking doors, and the routes flag those so you grab earlier pieces before crossing.

Do the four instant setup achievements before the campaign. This also gives you a Custom Game file and confirms that the menus and your profile are behaving normally before you commit to the long route.

Set the campaign to Heroic and begin in online co-op. Two players are enough for the full co-op route, although extra players make several simultaneous or vehicle achievements easier. Pulse Artemis often and finish the mission with 7/7 Intel.

Osiris Intel route:

1. Unggoy Personal Log 005 — right after the opening cutscene, hug the right wall past the wrecked ship; the pad is between two Covenant crates beside a dead Grunt.
2. Jul 'Mdama's Log — just after you Spartan Charge through the first ice wall, go to the edge of the path and look left; the pad is on a lower ledge with a dead Elite.
3. Covenant Combat Orders 0283 — in the second Promethean arena, climb the stepped rock and metal ledges to the right of the first Forerunner doorway; the pad is in the snow on the highest, smallest ledge. The IWHBYD skull ledge is on the doorway's left.
4. Halsey Research Notes 1/4 — past the inner door-panel room, follow the ice cave left and drop to its lower section; the pad is in a small nook on a raised ledge behind the right-hand of the two big icicle clusters.
5. Halsey Research Notes 2/4 — at the valley's end by the Forerunner structure with the turret-guarded door, climb the snowy ledge right of the door, pass the turret, and drop to the lower ledge with a dead Elite.
6. Halsey Research Notes 3/4 — inside the structure, in the first quiet room, by the large window opposite the door.
7. Halsey Research Notes 4/4 — in the next large combat room, jump onto the raised platform right of the exit; the pad is behind the centre strut by crates and a dead Elite.

The IWHBYD skull is before the first major Forerunner door. Before entering, look left and clamber onto the triangular ledge overlooking the aerial battle, then claim the skull.

Blue Team has 8 Intel and the Black Eye skull. Master Chief has no Artemis scanner, so sweep the mission deliberately.

Collect the Intel in this order of landmarks: the green station terminal after the opening bridge (Argent Moon: Station Warning); the terminal past the weapons rack after the first bay (Log 2557 3-17 1231 SMT 1/4); the data pad high on the scaffolding before Central Control (Test Results: Asteroidea 59B); the data pad behind the crates and vent on Level 3 (Test Results: Asteroidea 61F); the green terminal immediately after the long windowed corridor (Log 2557 3-19 1653 SMT 2/4); the data pad beside a body visible during the Hunter-room elevator section (Test Results: Asteroidea 472A); the terminal left of the four large floor cylinders (Log 2557 3-19 1654 SMT 3/4); and the final green terminal after the half-open door on the route toward the hangar (Log 2557 9-12 613 SMT 4/4).

For Black Eye, reach the reactor-room area, use the far-left pipe and upper platforms to reach the hidden section, then Ground Pound through the breakable floor into the small room containing the skull.

Glassed has 6 Intel. Pulse Artemis throughout the ground route and finish with 6/6.

Glassed Intel route:

1. Evelyn Collins: Meridian Day 1 — after the elevator, at the big closed door, go right over the "Personnel Walkway Only" walkways and bridges; the pad is on crates in the back-left corner.
2. The History of Meridian 2/6 — once the door opens, turn immediately left; the radio is on a crate inside the green-tarped bundle nearest the cliff stairs.
3. Evelyn Collins: Meridian Day 5 — in the Unit 1 building beside Security, go to the second floor, down the hallway, and right into a small room; the pad is on a chair in the back corner.
4. The History of Meridian 1/6 — after the gate opens and the Pelican flies over, check the back-right of the area; climb the right-hand of two red crates and the radio is on the ground behind it, near a burning ship.
5. Evelyn Collins: Meridian Day 17 — at the building beside the bridge, leave your vehicle and go around the building's left side (not across the bridge); the pad is on a desk at a small work area with soldiers.
6. Shipment Received 2558-8-11 — after the bridge fight, Garage 14 opens in the lower back corner; the pad is on a crate behind the Scorpion.

Collect pieces 1–3 before leaving the on-foot base area, because the vehicle section makes backtracking impractical.

Do not waste time hunting the Iron skull during this Heroic run. Iron only appears on Legendary in Halo 5, so it is deliberately reserved for the solo Legendary pass.

This mission is an efficient place to combine two restrictions. Tell every human player before starting that nobody is entering a vehicle and nobody is using Smart-Link for the entire mission.

Meridian Station is a short noncombat hub with 8 Intel and no skull. Sweep every accessible side area and conversation space before triggering the final departure. The lack of combat makes this a cheap place to correct any missed interaction before leaving.

Meridian Station Intel route (free roam; the mission ends when you board the Pelican):

1. Settler Personal Log ID 0091 — at the large gate at the top of the entry hill, turn right to the fence corner; the pad is on a yellow container.
2. Deglass Team Incident Report — left of the gate, clamber up to the landing-pad ledge; the pad is on a container beside a construction vehicle.
3. Laser Operator's Personal Log — climb the boxes onto the roof of the Supplies building, across from Unit 14; the pad is on a crate beside the yellow silo.
4. Meridian: Speculative Overview — climb up past the Food Station side, using the alley stairs, to the top of the big white silo, the highest point in the station.
5. Excavation Team Personal Log — past Unit 14 toward the back, beside the vending machine at the next building on the left; the pad is on a blue trash can.
6. Deglass Team Personal Log — in the alley under the red "Food Station" sign, between Supplies and Food Station; the pad is on a box.
7. Settler Personal Log ID 4259 — on the roof of the Liang Dortmund Temporary Medical Unit, climbing from the entrance side; the pad is on a crate.
8. Settler Personal Log ID 6421 — at the far back-right of the station by the gate, on a scrap container.

Unconfirmed contains 7 Intel and the Blind skull. Pulse Artemis in every underground room and side passage.

Unconfirmed Intel route:

1. The History of Meridian 3/6 — at spawn, wrap left around the large structure; the radio is in the rocky corner near a yellow Liang Dortmund container.
2. Message From Apogee Station 1/3 — in the building before the mining area, climb the right-hand platform instead of the stairs, go down the stairs under the screen, and turn left; the pad is on a chair.
3. Drill Operator's Personal Log 2/2 — in the first large indoor area after the first fight, go up the stairs on the right and over the yellow crate in the back corner; the pad is on a chair at the back-right of the platform.
4. Drill Operator's Personal Log 1/2 — at Blue Team's Pelican, climb the staircases on the left, jump onto the top of the ship, and run to its back.
5. Message From Apogee Station 2/3 — in the sniper area after the Pelican, before the large door, Spartan Charge through the breakable vent on the left into a small room.
6. The History of Meridian 4/6 — inside the mine, go right, climb the rightmost pipe toward the lava, and jump to the orange ledge on the right; the radio is in its back-left corner.
7. Message From Apogee Station 3/3 — in the large open area at the end, take the left staircase to the back corner; the pad is on a box. Grab it before you drop down into the Forerunner installation.

For Blind, after the sniper fight, go through the mining-tunnel door at the top of the hill. Hop onto the raised section on the left, jump up to the hanging platform or pipes overhead, then crouch into the small cave that holds the skull.

Evacuation has 6 Intel and the Thunderstorm skull. Your first Heroic run should prioritize the skull setup, Savior, the Intel, and normal mission completion. Then replay the mission immediately for a clean Fire Drill speed run.

Evacuation Intel route:

1. Offworld Message 1/3 — before the bridge gate, climb the stairs of the catwalk building on the right of the approach; the pad is about halfway along the upper walkway.
2. The History of Meridian 6/6 — in the space-elevator cargo bay, raise the lift under the "Offload A" sign on the left; the radio is in rubble in the upper-left corner.
3. The History of Meridian 5/6 — on the bay's far right, climb the stairs and platforms to the high walkway beside the crate stacks; the radio is in debris there. Pieces 2 and 3 can be taken in either order.
4. Offworld Message 3/3 — inside the elevator car room, at about 8 o'clock from the entrance, Spartan Charge the vented end of a small blue container; the pad is inside on the left. Take it before you activate the lift, because the ride is one-way.
5. Offworld Message 2/3 — after the ride, take Emergency Exit 26, go left past the crates, through the hole in the wall, around the catwalk and stairs, then hop the railing to the beam walkway.
6. Public Update: Glass — higher in the shaft, at the steep collapsed-floor ramp, skip the intended jump and follow the girders under it; the pad is on a box against the far wall beside a construction helmet.

Thunderstorm has a timed setup at the start of the mission. Destroy five orange traffic cones within two minutes of starting; shooting them works. The cones are: by the catwalk near the opening gate area; by the building with catwalks before the bridge door; behind a burnt-out car on the bridge; on the concrete base of the orange mining cylinder beside the large mining vehicle, just after the first stone archway; and by the destroyed mining vehicle at the base of the slope up to the outpost. When the two minutes expire, any remaining cones despawn, so a miss means restarting the mission. If the setup succeeded, continue the mission and collect Thunderstorm on the path to the Pelican at the very end, during the Guardian pulses.

Reunion has 7 Intel and two skulls: Grunt Birthday Party and Fog. This is another Master Chief mission, so use the route landmarks instead of relying on Artemis.

For Intel, use these seven stops: the left-side cave and ledge before the first enemy area (Unggoy Personal Log 083 1/2); the right-side ridge above the first crashed Covenant ship (Unggoy Personal Log 083 2/2); the dark hole on the right-side ledges just beyond that ship with a dead Marine inside (UNSC Marine Status Update, spelled "USNC" in the menu); the Forerunner console beneath the two Covenant turrets before the facility (Forerunner Record: Search 1/5); the console by the waterfall after the light bridge (Forerunner Record: Search 4/5); the console in the rocky middle-path hole after the Warden conversation (Forerunner Record: Search 2/5); and the final console behind cover after Cortana activates the later light bridge (Forerunner Record: Search 3/5).

Grunt Birthday Party is near the first crashed Phantom. Take the side path toward the cliff platform, find the singing Grunt holding the skull, punt him off the edge when prompted, and pick up the dropped skull. Punt only: killing him any other way drops the skull off the cliff. If that happens, reload the checkpoint and try again.

Fog is at the very end. When the Gateway is ahead and the static Guardian is visible, turn right instead of entering the final route, follow the Forerunner structure to its end, and claim the skull.

This is the biggest collectible mission in the campaign: 12 Intel and the Mythic skull. Pulse Artemis frequently and treat 12/12 as the mission's main housekeeping target.

Swords of Sanghelios Intel route:

1. Ceremonial Sword 3/6 — at the start, climb the rocks on the right to the cliffside ruin; the artifact is at the top of the steps.
2. Patrol Log – Scout 'Ghattam — in the river ruins before the river narrows, hug the left cliff to the back; the pad is in a small alcove under a rock by a dead Elite.
3. Ceremonial Sword 1/6 — in the circular waterfall arena, after the fight, go through the left waterfall; the artifact is in the small cavern behind it.
4. Patrol Log – Scout 'Thrun — same arena, near the Shade turret, climb the rocks on the right to a high cave; the pad is on the right wall by dead Elites.
5. Patrol Log – Scout 'Hakkat — past the dead Sword of Sanghelios Elite, go through the cave to the hole overlooking the next section, then turn around; the pad is on a high rock beside an energy sword.
6. Patrol Log – Scout 'Makesh — at the route split, take the left path before the two energy shields and Plasma Cannon, and drop to the semicircular ledge with a dead Elite.
7. Ceremonial Sword 2/6 — on the right path, about two-thirds up the hill, climb the fallen pillar, jump to the next pillar, then to the high ledge; the artifact is at the far edge.
8. Sangheili Personal Log 503 — leaving the ruins after the Covenant reinforcements appear, turn left and check behind the pillar nearest the cliff edge.
9. Kit Pitlimp's Adventure Log 1/4 — near the ruins' exit, Ground Pound the cracked floor to drop into a cavern; the pad is on a pedestal past the Covenant ammo. This floor also counts for No Knock Raid.
10. Message to Kitun 'Arach 1/2 — after the Hunters, when the Mantises arrive, leave the Mantis, climb the broken statue's torso on the right to the upper ledge, and go left; the pad is behind the far-left statue. Stay close to the wall so you do not bounce off.
11. Message to Kitun 'Arach 2/2 — in the Wraith and Ghost courtyard, go to the back left, jump through the giant hole in the wall, and follow the hallway to a round room; the pad is on a sculpture.
12. Sangheili Personal Log 139 — in the final open area before the Council Chamber, take the stairs on the right to the second level and look over the edge at the small pool right of the gate; the pad is by the water.

Take piece 10 before the next gate opens toward the courtyard, because the route does not let you return to the statue room.

For Mythic, as you exit the Hornet's Nest building, look immediately left for two pillars with a platform on top. Climb the collapsed pillar toward the farthest pillar, then sprint, jump, thrust, or clamber across to the platform holding the skull.

Alliance is another noncombat hub. It contains 8 Intel and no skull, so collect all eight before triggering the departure sequence.

Alliance Intel route (free roam; talking to Palmer ends the mission):

1. Sangheili Personal Log 383 — turn around from spawn and walk to the back of the spawn area; the pad is on the ground beside crates.
2. Honorguard Personal Log 1/2 — walking toward camp, climb the rocks behind the Elite standing on a rock, cross the stone bridge to the right, and enter the cave; the pad is on a rock midway through.
3. Camp Quartermaster Personal Log — back at the stone bridge, turn right and sprint-jump to the round stone pillar-top by the Grunts' campfire.
4. Sangheili Medic's Personal Log — drop from the pillar, go under the red umbrellas, and follow the path left past the makeshift medical corner; the pad is on a platform inside a circle of ruins.
5. Sangheili Linguistics Report — walk toward Halsey's platform and face the way she faces; the pad is on a crate in the shallow cave ahead.
6. Sangheili Personal Log 673 — leaving that cave, climb the collapsed pillar on the left using the rocks, then sprint-jump to the standing round platform.
7. Dr. Halsey: Status — at Palmer's Pelican, check the back-left; the pad is beside a crate.
8. Do Not Open — go to the ruins right of Palmer's Pelican and wrap left around the stone structure; the pad is by purple crates on the ruins' edge.

Enemy Lines contains 10 Intel and the Catch skull. Pulse Artemis as you advance and finish with 10/10.

Enemy Lines Intel route:

1. Ceremonial Sword 4/6 — at the waterfall before the ruin entrance, follow the river left and drop into the pool; the artifact is in the dark cave corner at the far-left bottom.
2. Message to Jacul 'Arach 1/4 — just inside the collapsed ruin where three Grunts wait, the pad is on the left beside plasma grenades.
3. Sangheili Personal Log 449 — in the courtyard where the Kraken first appears, climb the ledges just past the keyhole door's exit to a small platform holding a Carbine.
4. Unggoy Personal Log 023 — near the first shield generator, go through the back-corner keyhole doorway on the right into a small side room; the pad is by the entrance. If it is not there, check the semi-blocked doorway on the left.
5. Message to Jacul 'Arach 2/4 — after driving a Ghost through the shielded cavern, take the leftmost of the two keyhole doorways past the Phantom; the pad is in the floor corner.
6. Sangheili Personal Log 061 — at the hilltop before the tunnel carved into the cliff, turn around, then sprint-jump and thrust onto the big rock outcrop; the pad is on top. The tunnel drops you into the temple grounds, so take it first.
7. Dear Covenant Please Read — in the temple-grounds turret arena, hug the right-hand cliff wall to a small raised stone ledge near a dead Grunt.
8. Covenant Attack Plan — once the arena is clear, climb the central platform with the two drop shields, then sprint-jump and thrust to the small ledge above a tunnel ahead and to the right.
9. Kit Pitlimp's Adventure Log 2/4 — at ground level on the arena's left, go into the dark space under the bridge, Spartan Charge the fragile wall, and grab the pad on a rock inside.
10. Forerunner Record: Search 5/5 — in the Kraken arena, fly a Phaeton to the metal Forerunner platform to the right of where you enter and scan the console at its centre. Get it before boarding the Kraken; if you miss it, it can still be reached by Banshee during the escape.

Catch is inside the Kraken, in one of its two Banshee hangar bays near the end of the level. It sits on a small platform above the green tunnel that leads to the core. Fly a Banshee up to the platform, exit, and grab the skull; wall-jumping up also works. If it is not in the bay with the green hall on your left, check the other bay.

Before the Storm is a noncombat hub with 5 Intel and no skull. Collect all five before completing the conversation and departure sequence.

Before the Storm Intel route (talking to Halsey ends the mission):

1. Honorguard Personal Log 2/2 — turn around at the drop point; up the slope behind spawn, the pad is on crates beside a tree near a blocked cliff doorway.
2. Attack Wing Jardam Combat Report — back at the start, climb the rock ledges on the left and use the fallen pillar leaning on the cliff to jump to the intact stone pillar; the pad is on top.
3. Sangheili Security Officer's Log — by Palmer and the Arbiter, the pad is on a crate under the nearest red umbrella tent.
4. Unggoy Science Report — hop up the tiered umbrella tents to the tallest one, then jump to the rocky outcrop overlooking the Elite medical area; the pad is between two crates.
5. Dr. Halsey: Status (Supplemental) — take the cave left of the Arbiter, climb the rocks on the right toward the hovering Phantom, and walk onto the broken stone bridge ledge above the Arbiter.

Battle of Sunaion contains 8 Intel and the Cowbell skull. Pulse Artemis through each combat pocket and finish with 8/8.

Battle of Sunaion Intel route:

1. Message to Jacul 'Arach 3/4 — at the start, turn left, use the canister to reach the upper ledge, run left to the end, and jump to the freestanding orange-ringed cylinder; the pad is on top.
2. Chant of the Guardian — after the second anti-air turret, enter the left-hand building, go up its stairs and through the door; the blue console is at the back.
3. Prayer of the Guardian — after the console lift takes you down to the underbelly, take the left-hand platform with twin purple braziers, climb using the braziers, and follow the slanted ledge around the centre structure.
4. Message to Jacul 'Arach 4/4 — on the right-hand circular platform by the bridge, the pad is on a small high ledge on the cylinder's water-facing side.
5. Kit Pitlimp's Adventure Log 3/4 — on the Hunter platform, jump to the right-hand platform with the Fuel Rod rack; the pad is on a short pedestal behind its pillar. Take it before the elevator back up.
6. Ceremonial Sword 5/6 — after the elevator, leave by the right door and drop into the courtyard of bodies; the artifact is far right beside a dead Elite. Take it before the cracking-path sprint, which is one-way.
7. Sunaion Officer's Personal Log — in the collapsing interior, stay on the upper level and jump through the far window; the pad is on a low bookshelf on the left.
8. Ceremonial Sword 6/6 — up the debris ramp, at the doorway where the Arbiter fights, turn right instead; the artifact is in the far right corner of the hallway.

The lift down after the third turret is one-way, so collect pieces 1 and 2 before riding it.

For Cowbell, reach the final Guardian arena at the end of the level, after the two Hunters. Go to the platform closest to the Guardian, behind the twisted metal pylon, drop to the girder one level down, and crouch into the hidden platform holding the skull.

Genesis has 10 Intel and the Tilt skull. Pulse Artemis regularly, especially around the vehicle section and the post-Warden routes.

Genesis Intel route:

1. Unggoy Personal Log 011 — just after leaving the tunnel in the Scorpion, at the first left turn where Ghosts attack, get out; the pad is behind a tree-like structure by a dead Grunt.
2. Kit Pitlimp's Adventure Log 4/4 — past the first bridge, in the far-left corner, slip between two rocks onto the clifftop path overlooking the distant Guardian.
3. Forerunner Record: Echoes 1/3 — from that cliff, climb the rock ledges and run along the top toward the Forerunner door to the broken Constructor. Take pieces 2 and 3 before going through that door.
4. UNSC Intel 1/3 — in the cave past the door, near the empty Wraith, climb the rocks on the left to the crashed Pelican's roof.
5. Forerunner Record: Echoes 2/3 — leaving the cave, keep left to the Forerunner balcony jutting toward the Guardian; the console is at its far end.
6. Forerunner Record: Echoes 3/3 — at the second big vehicle battle, right after the bridge where a Knight Commander spawns, climb the tall rocks on the left; the Constructor is at the far edge of the peak.
7. UNSC Intel 2/3 — before crossing the light bridge to the Warden, climb the rock ledge on the left that overlooks it; the pad is beside a Spartan Laser.
8. Sangheili Personal Log 839 — after the first Warden, take the left footpaths to a dead Elite and climb the ledge just ahead; the pad is beside an Energy Sword.
9. UNSC Intel 3/3 — in the same post-Warden area, take the right-hand path uphill to the white Forerunner platform on the cliff edge; the pad is at its tip beside a Sniper Rifle. Collect pieces 8 and 9 before moving on from the first Warden's area.
10. Forerunner Record: Threat 1/5 — after the final twin-Warden arena, climb the left ramp beside the exit door and turn right at the top; the console is in the corner of the balcony.

Tilt is after the first Warden and the Scorpion sequence. When the route opens onto the hill on the right, climb to the highest point and claim the skull before moving on.

The Breaking contains 5 Intel and the Famine skull. This is a Master Chief mission, so grab the collectibles deliberately.

At mission start, turn around and activate the two Forerunner consoles in the left and right rear corners for Intel 1 and 2 (Forerunner Record: Threat 5/5 on the left, Forerunner Record: Alive 1/5 on the right). In the large Promethean bridge area, stay along the lower-middle path and activate the central console for Intel 3 (Forerunner Record: Threat 2/5). When Cortana removes the Warden who appears ahead of you, enter the lower alcove beneath his platform for Intel 4 (Forerunner Record: Threat 3/5). Go around behind that same alcove to the small structure between the weapon caches for the Famine skull. In the final large Promethean arena before the triple-Warden fight, activate the central lower console for Intel 5 (Forerunner Record: Threat 4/5).

Guardians has 10 Intel and the Tough Luck skull. Pulse Artemis through the mission and do not end the campaign until your total campaign counter reaches 117/117.

Guardians Intel route:

1. Forerunner Record: Alive 2/5 — in the room with the red holographic planet, take the ramp right of the exit; the console is at the top.
2. Forerunner Record: Alive 5/5 — take the ramp left of the exit in the same room for the second console.
3. Sangheili Personal Log 881 — in the Covenant-versus-Forerunner firefight, go up the left ramp, jump the small gap, turn right, and climb to the highest central platform; the pad is beside a dead Elite.
4. Sangheili Personal Log 709 1/2 — left of the Alpha Core, in the burning wreckage of a crashed Phantom.
5. UNSC Cockpit Recording — above the Gamma Core, climb the snow to the crashed Pelican; the pad is by a dead soldier. The Tough Luck skull is here too.
6. Sangheili Personal Log 709 2/2 — in the middle of the map near the Ghosts and Covenant turrets, climb the snowy ridge back toward the entry direction and follow the ledge around.
7. Forerunner Record: Alive 3/5 — on the snowy ridge northwest of the Covenant structure, past the gate and overturned Warthog, climb the ledges to a broken Constructor.
8. Forerunner Record: Alive 4/5 — from the centre, go through the pass past the turrets, look far left toward the Epsilon Core without entering it, and climb the dark snowy ridge to a broken Constructor.
9. UNSC Personal Log — behind the Epsilon Core by the cliff, enter the small dark snow cave with a Mantis; the pad is just past the Mantis.
10. Sangheili Personal Log 977 — approach the Epsilon Core from the south and take the dark tunnel on the right; the pad is beside a Ghost about halfway through.

Collect pieces 3–10 before entering the cryptum. Its door closes behind you, so the open snowfield cannot be revisited in that run.

Tough Luck is on the snowy route near the exterior-core sequence. Follow the path toward the crashed Pelican around the Gamma and Alpha core area, climb the snowy ledge, and claim the skull before finishing the mission.

Start a separate Solo Campaign on Legendary and keep every mission on that difficulty. The goal is not collectible cleanup now; it is clean solo Legendary credit on all 15 missions. Use precision weapons, Plasma Pistol shield breaks, long-range positioning, squad commands, and safe vehicle skips where the mission allows them.

Play this pass in normal Campaign with Score Attack off. Score Attack skips the mission cutscenes; whether Harbinger still unlocks that way is disputed, and Score Attack is not confirmed to count toward Lone Wolf or Forging a Legend, so normal Campaign removes both risks.

You can ignore already-collected Intel and skulls. Do not add skull modifiers unless you deliberately want the extra challenge.

Mission 3 contains the only skull that could not be obtained on the Heroic pass. Iron appears only on Legendary.

During the Scorpion section, watch the Phaeton chasing the cargo ship and destroy it. The Iron skull then spawns in one of three nearby locations: by the fence between yellow barrels, on the roof of the Scorpion building beneath a yellow barrel, or under the small arch near the bridge and metal crates. Check all three locations before advancing. A successful shoot-down plays a Grunt Birthday Party-style cheer. If the Phaeton destroys the cargo ship first, reload the checkpoint and try again.

Iron's effect is no revives. Do not activate it for any normal campaign run, and especially not for Harbinger.

Continue the solo Legendary campaign normally. These missions do not add a second-pass-only achievement if the first pass was completed correctly, so prioritize survival and mission credit rather than repeating optional challenges.

Use squad commands aggressively. A downed AI Spartan is not a failed Legendary run, and in Missions 4–12 you can recover from ordinary deaths and checkpoints normally. Mission 14 is different; its rules are below.

Genesis contains the hardest second-pass route-specific requirement. Once Exuberant Witness gives you the Scorpion, treat the tank as the objective.

Stay at range, use the main cannon to clear threats before advancing, and avoid squeezing through terrain that exposes the tank to concentrated fire. Keep the Scorpion alive through the entire vehicle section until you reach the first Warden encounter.

The Breaking is the only mission where a full-fireteam wipe has its own Legendary achievement consequence. AI Blue Team members may be downed or even die during the level. You, the human player, must not die: in solo, your death sends you back to a checkpoint, and that counts as the fireteam wipe that voids Harbinger.

Take the final triple-Warden fight slowly. Keep distance, focus one target at a time, revive when safe, and always preserve at least one active Spartan.

Finish the solo Legendary campaign. You already handled the core-specific Heroic achievements on Pass 1, so this run is about surviving and securing the final difficulty credit.

Use Mission Select and load Reunion solo on Heroic. You are here only for the Phantom kill, so ignore collectibles already obtained.

In the section before the Covenant camp with the escaping Phantom, take the heavy weapons available in the nearby weapon cache, including the Rocket Launcher and Railgun. Enter the camp ready to fire immediately rather than spending time clearing every ground enemy first.

Load Battle of Sunaion through Mission Select. The Hunter pair is in the same final Guardian arena as the Cowbell skull. Easy is sufficient because Worms Don't Surf has no difficulty requirement. Activate Tough Luck to encourage the Hunters to charge more aggressively.

Reach the Hunter pair near the ocean-facing arena. Clear distractions, position yourself between a Hunter and the edge, then bait the charge and sidestep so its momentum carries it over the side. Repeat for the second Hunter.

At this point you should have all campaign achievements. Use Mission Select only for anything the campaign record still shows incomplete:

• Intel counter must be 117/117.
• Skull counter must be 13/13.
• Co-op Heroic credit must cover all 15 missions.
• Solo Legendary credit must cover all 15 missions.
• If Maverick or Death from Above failed during the Heroic pass, replay only the relevant mission on an easier difficulty because neither achievement itself requires Heroic.
• If No Knock Raid never registered, replay Swords of Sanghelios and destroy every cracked Spartan-Charge or Ground-Pound surface you find.

Do the five Score Attack achievements after the campaign so every useful skull is already available.

Set up a two-player online co-op Score Attack run on Genesis with Heroic difficulty. Turn on Catch, Fog, Cowbell, Famine, Tilt, and Thunderstorm. Score Attack skull multipliers add together: Catch 2.0x, Fog 1.5x, Cowbell 1.0x, Famine 2.0x, Tilt 2.0x, and Thunderstorm 1.5x give a 10.0x total. Famine, Tilt, and Catch are each 2.0x on their own. With vehicle multikills from the Scorpion or Wraith, this run typically takes 8–12 minutes against the 17:00 par.

Your final score is calculated on the completion screen: the score you built during the mission is multiplied by a time bonus, so finishing quickly raises it. Aim for a combined team total of at least 500,000 with each player at 200,000 or more, finished under the 17:00 par. Established achievement solutions document The Tortoise unlocking from a combined co-op score. As an optional precaution, route the biggest multikills to one player so their own score passes 500,000. Use the vehicle section aggressively, and do not linger in optional fights once the scores are safe. Up For A Challenge unlocks mid-mission at 50,000 points; the other four unlock at the score screen.

Only Party Hearty needs online co-op. The other four Score Attack achievements can also be earned solo or offline.

As of 2026-10-15, Warzone Firefight is the best current route for the old Warzone requirements because it is reliably populated. Recent completions report earning all the legacy Warzone achievements here, including Cry Havoc, Top of the Food Chain, and Warlord. Bringing in the Big Guns is reported to count as well, with a fallback below.

Track these six original Firefight maps for Tour of Duty:

• Attack on Sanctum.
• Escape from A.R.C.
• March on Stormbreak.
• Raid on Apex 7.
• Skirmish at Darkstar.
• Urban.

Later or remixed maps such as Temple and Prospect do not replace one of those six for Tour of Duty.

For Warlord, separately mark wins on the three original Warzone maps:

• March on Stormbreak.
• Raid on Apex 7.
• Escape from A.R.C.

A single successful Firefight run can advance several achievements at once. Finish every match instead of quitting after a personal objective, because completed-match and map tracking are more valuable than saving a few minutes.

Warzone Firefight should leave you with enough REQ Points to handle the pack achievement without spending real money.

Use the most active current matchmade playlists first. Do not waste hours waiting in a dead specialized queue when the same mode rotates through a healthier social playlist.

If you are on Xbox Series X|S and searches immediately fail, fully quit the game, relaunch, start and end one solo Custom Game, then return to matchmaking before deciding a playlist is empty.

As of 2026-10-15, Off to the Races and Castle Crasher are the practical bottleneck. The Ranked Elimination playlist (Breakout) and the Team Arena playlist (Strongholds) are both close to dead; recent completions needed a pre-arranged group of eight to start a match. A full group is the most controllable approach, though matchmaking still has to pair the two fireteams. Community boosting groups organize these full lobbies, so set a time and queue together.

Custom Games do not satisfy these achievements. The group must enter the current matchmade playlist that can produce the required mode. Split into two four-player fireteams, search together, and verify the lobby has paired your groups before playing out the match.

Do this after your Arena session while the Recent Players list is fresh.